Detractors of what has been recreated at Louisbourg will call it Disney-like but for those who embrace the ethos of the Canada Parks attraction, it is a living, breathing, walking, talking, real life experience that offers a fabulous insight into 18th century communal living.
Everywhere you walk is true to tradition. Staff are dressed in period and seldom break out of character when engaged in conversation. True the effect is somewhat ruined by the tourist with his or her iPhone, but believe it or not, the experience can become exclusive and totally absorbing. From this year for a trial period it has become possible to stay overnight in a period house living and eating as you would have done way back then.
Food now is served in the complex as it was back then, based on what was locally available and deemed suitable for human consumption. Potatoes were only fed to pigs and so never made it to man’s dinner plate. Turkey pie, turnips and carrots and of course, the locally sourced cod were standard fare as was rice, even though it was imported.
Tomatoes were a no-no because when placed onto the plate they turned black and were as a consequence considered to be poisonous and therefore discarded. It took years for Frenchy to discover that it was his own dinner plate made of lead that was poisoning him! The humble and inoffensive red tomato was merely highlighting the potential danger!
We are grateful to Destination Canada, Air Canada and ship operators One Ocean Expeditions for kindly hosting us on this trip